Road-drag



F. R. MILLER.

ROAD DRAG.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1920.

1,385,789, Patented July 26, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F. R. MILLER.

ROAD DRAG.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27. 1920.

Patented J uly 26, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@@'mew/Zar FRAN/(R MILLER F. R. MILLER.

ROAD DRAG.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27,1920. 1,385,789. Patented July 26, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES FRANK R. MILLER, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

v ROAD-DRAG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J u1)r 26, 1921.

Application filed February 27, 1920. Serial No. 361,647.

` To all whom 'll may concern:

Be it known that I FRANK R. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springlield in the county of Sangamonl and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Road-Drag, of which the following, is a specification.

The invention relates to road drags of sturdy construction adapted kto grade and finish the road surface at one going over.

The purposes of the invention (1) are to provide a main frame of improved construction; (2) to provide in conjunction with the main frame a rigid draw bar adapted to withstand heavy transverse strains without yielding, and a commodious platform stiffening the mai-n frame and the drawbar; (3) to provide a rear drag-unit comprising two sections having a lieXible connection with the main frame and a hinge connection with each other, said reardrag unit being` adapted to conform` to a road surface sloping from the' center outwardly to the right and to the left; (4) to provide side-dragunits one at each end of the main fram`e',inclined at an angle relative to the line of travel ofthe machine and flexibly connected with the main frame; (5) to provide improved means for flexibly connecting the respective 'drag-units with the mainv frame; (6) toprovide improvedpmeans for separatelyraising the respective dragunits and supporting each drag-unit in its raised position (7) to provide improved meansforfflexibly connecting the side drag-units with the forward terminal part of the drawlbar; (8) and toprovide other improvedv details of construction.

With these purposes inview theinvention consists in the novel features of construction and combinations' of parts ,shown in the annexed vdrawing to which reference is hereby made and which willnow be fully described and finally recited in the claims.

Figure 1, is a perspective view of road drag embodying my invention, looking` from the front toward the rear, and shows the drag units in their raised position.

Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the same machine lookingV from the rear toward the front. and shows the drag-units intheir extended or operatingposition.

Fig. 3, is a top plan of the same machine Fig. 4l, is a vertical section on the line 4, 4, of Fig. 3.

The mala frame.

The main frame is preferably a rectangular structure of bar' iron of suitable dimensions, comprising side bars 10, end bars 12 and intermediate bars 13 all lirmly united. The side bars 10 project outwardly ya considerable distance beyond the end bars and the inner ends of the lifting frame members 15 are hinged on the outwardly projecting parts of the side bars, as willbe described later. l The axle 16 is suspended on the intermediate bars 13 by loops 17,- (Fig. 4c) which extend downwardly through strapsV 18 and have screwthreaded terminals 19. Nuts 2O screwing onthe terminals 19 securely unite the parts 1B, 16; 17 and 18. The

wheels 21 rotate on spindles.' at the respective ends of the axle. The axle is connected with the frame as described in order that relatively low supporting wheels maybe used, soV `that the tractor pullingthe drag have an approximately level pull on the drag.

Draw lim' mul platform swtlcture.

The draw-barv and platform structure comprises angle bars 22 close together at their front ends and diverged rearwardly as shown. andmetalV platesv 27 permanently vattached to the angle bars and to the main frame. The plates constitute a platform for the operator and brace and stillen the structure. A transverse plate 23 (Fig. 3) is firmly attached at the forward end of the angle bars 22, and `has notches 24' in which links 28 engage to prevent the links from f slipping on the plate". A clevisll is lirmly attachedy to the anglebars and' tothe plate 23. A couplingpin 2G, serves to connect the clevis with the tractor which pulls the Inachine.

Drag-umts mtl lifting frames. There are two single` dragunits, one at each end of the main frame; and a double dragunit at the rear of the mainframe.

The single or lateral drag-units are both alike, so a description of` one will suliice for both.

Each lateral drag-unit comprises longitudinal angle bars 29 of equal length and parallel to each other but in such relation to each other that the outer end of the front bar projects outwardly somewhat beyond the outer end of the rear bar; and the inner end of the rear bar projects inwardly somewhat beyond the inner end of the front bar.

Scraper blades 30 are detachably connected on the front of the respective longitudinal bars. i Y

Channel bars 3l are at right angles to the bars 29 and are fixed thereon.

A channel plate`32 is fixed on the bars 29 and is inclinedrelative to the bars to such -extent that when the drag-unit is raised the channel plate will occupy a horizontal position; furthermore the channel plate is somewhat outside the centerof gravity of the drag-unit so that during the raisingof the drag-unit its inner end will gravitatedownward and will remain on the ground until the outer end of the drag-unit has been raised almost to avertical position, thus availing of the leverage due to the turning of theiinner end of the drag-unit on the ground, and avoiding the deadv lift which otherwise would be necessaryto raise the rdrag unit bodily; The downwardly gravitating drag-unit and the lifting means coactingtherewith as describedj are important features of myinvention. -Box loops 33 transverseV to ltheV channel plate 32 are vfixed thereon and are spaced apart from each other so thatrthe side members ofy the lifting frame will lie close to the outside of the ,respective box-loops and the transverse central member of the lifting frame will lie under the box loops.

Each lifting frame, is `formed from a singlerod bent in U-shape, (Fig. 3) and comprises side members 15 anda transverse Vmember 34. The side members l5 have curved parts 35 adjacentv to the transverse member 34. f Adjacent to theends of the respective membersl are transverse holes 36 (not shown) accommodating the rod V33. A gas pipe 37 extends:V across the litfing frame between the side members. The rod i `38 extends` through the outwardly extended parts of theside bars `10 of the main frame,

Y through the pipe 37, and through the `holes 36, The .pipe 37 prevents the members l5 from sliding inward on the rod. kThe rod 33'V extending through the side bars V10 and through the side members 15 forms a hinge connection of the lifting frame with the main frame.`

lVhen thelateral drag-units are extended asV shown in Fig. 2, they member 34 will lie in the channel ofv the lplate 32 andwill not interfere with necessary slight vertical movement of the drag-unit relative to the ground on which it is operating7 and the side members of thelifting frame will engage on the outer edges of the box loops to prevent the drag-unit from sliding forwardly or rearwardly.

When the drag-unit lis in the raised position shown in Fig. l, the lifting frame will be approximately vertical7 thel dragstructure will be supported on the member 34 ofthe lifting frame, and the curved members 35 engaging on the outer edges of the box loops will prevent forward and rearward oscillation of the suspended dragunit;

The flexible connection of the lifting frame with the main frame, and the flexible connectionA of the drag structure with the lifting frame, are important Vfeatures of my invention.

Loops 39 are xed on the'front angle bar 29. Draft chains 40 are connected with the links 28 and the loops 39. The chains40 are. of different lengths according to' the inclination of the drag-'units relative to the line of travel of the machine.

, The rear drag-unit comprises two sections A41 and 42. A rod 43 extends throughthe nel plate ofthe` section there is only one box loop instead of the two boxloops used on the channel plate -of theV lateral dragunit. i

@The centralumemb'er 44 of the lifting `frame extends through two boxV loops 45, one on the channel Vplate 46 and the other on the channel plateq47,4 so that` the lifting frame will operate to simultaneously' raise the united sections.;

A bar 48` permanently attached to the' rear rail'of the main frame has terminal members 49" at right angles to the body of the bar. A rod 50 extends through the members 49, through the side members of the lifting frame7 and through a gas pipe 51 extending betweenthe side members of the lifting frame; and the pipe and bolt form a hinge Aconnection of the lifting frame with thel main frame. f

`-/Vz'aollass ml bumper emits.

There vare three windlass and bumper units which coperateAV with the respective 'drag-units. .Each 'windlass and bumper` unit comprises among lother things; sta- 54 supported on thestandard and extended ,tionary standards'52: .braces 53 and a box` outwardly in line with the drag-unit with which the windlass and bumper unit coperates. lThe box is at such vheight above the hinge connection between the lifting frame and the main frame that when the dragunit is raised, its intermediate channel plate will stop against the outer end of the box and the box will prevent the drag-unit from swinging too far inward, thus avoiding injury to the operatoryor damage` to machine, which might result from excessive inward swinging of the drag-unit.

A rotative shaft (Fig. 4) extends across the box 54C. A hand wheel 56 and a ratchet wheel 57 are secured on the shaft. A pawl 58 (Fig. l) pivoted on the side of the box is adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel. A wire rope 59 has one end connected with the stationary structure; the rope extends around a sheave 60 (Fig. 3) which is connected with the transverse member of the lifting frame by a suitable connecting device 6l and the other end of the `rope is attached to the shaft 55. Upon clockwise rotation of the shaft the rope will be wound around the shaft and will pull on the transverse member of the lifting frame to turn the lifting frame upwardly on its hinge to raise the drag-unit to the desired extent, and when it has been raised the pawl 58 will engage the ratchet wheel 57 and keep the drag' unit in its raised position. To lower the drag-unit the pawl will be released and the hand wheel 55 will be slowly rotated counter clockwise to permit gradual lowering of the drag-unit.

Operation.

5 lateral `drag-unit to pass an obstruction or to permit a vehicle to pass; and when it lhas passed the same hand wheel may be used to again lower the drag-unit.

I do not restrict my claims to the exact details of construction herein set forth since it is obvious thatminor details may be varied and still keep within the scope of my invention.

Claims.

Having fully described my invention what I lclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a road drag, the combination of a drawbar structure comprising angle bars diverged fromthe front toward the rear; a transverse bar uniting the converged ends of the angle bars; and having a pair of notches adjacent to each end of said transverse bar; a main fra-me; wheels supporting the main frame; two laterally extendible drag-units hinged at the respective ends of the main frame, and two pairsof chains engaging inthe pairs lof notches adjacent to the respectiveends of said transverse bar, one chain of each pai-r being attached adj'acent to the'outer'end of one lateral dragunit and theother chain of the same pair being attached adjacent to the inner end of the saine` drag-unit,'to exert uniform forward' pull at' both `ends 'of the respective extended drag units.

2. In a road drag, a drag-unit comprising side bars, 'cross bars uniting said side bars, an intermediate plate inclined relative to said side bars and box loops attached to said intermediate plate; in combination with a main frame and a lifting frame extending through said box loops and having a hinge connection with the main frame.

3. In a road drag, the combination of a main frame comprising longitudinal bars and cross bars; a lifting frame having its terminals between the terminls of the longitudinal bars of the main frame; a pipe be tween the terminals of the lifting frame and holding them apart from each other; a rod extending through said pipe and through the longitudinal bars and preventing spreading of said longitudinal bars; and a laterally extendible drag-unit supported on said lifting frame.

t. In a road drag, the combination of a main frame; a forwardly extended draw bar fixed centrally on the main frame; lateral drag units at the respective ends of the main frame; a rear drag unit comprising.

two sections flexibly united by a hinge device in line with the draw bar; means for simultaneously raising andV supporting both sections of the rear drag unit in raised position; and means for separately raising and supporting the respective lateral drag-units.

5. A road-drag comprising a main frame and supporting wheels; a ,forwardly extended drawbar fixed centrally on the main frame; a rear drag-unit consisting of two drag-members flexibly 'connected with each other by a hinge device in line with the draw-bar; box loops fixed on the respective drag-members; a lifting frame hinged on the main frame and extending through said box loops; and means for turning said lifting frame upwardly on its hinge to simultaneously raise both drag-members and support them in their raised position.

6. A road drag comprising supporting wheels; a main frame Vextended laterally beyond the supporting wheels; two lateral drag units, one at each end of the main frame; box loops fixed on the respective lateral drag units; hinged lifting frames at the respective ends of the main frame and extending through the respective box loops; mea-ns for turning the respective lifting frames upwardly; a forwardly extended their raised position and means for turning said last named lifting frame upwardly.

lIn Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name at Springeld, Illinois, this 19th dayrof February, 1920.

v A FRANK`R. MILLE Witnesses 1 y' ALVIN E. Sirone. L. Gr. MITCHELL. 

